LETTERS for April 22 issue

April 22, 2010

Gov. Linda Lingle is losing her draconian wit. I walked by Lingle’s office last week to witness the sit-in. She is not allowing the kids to use the bathroom or eat anything. Next, trespassing tickets were issued, and now parents are being arrested. Isn’t the Governor’s Office public property? All Linda needed to do was meet with the group, listen to them, and this entire circus would most likely have ended.

I witnessed the police blocking a father bringing in grape juice and pizza. They called it “contraband.” I looked up the definition of contraband, and it states: “Goods prohibited by law or treaty being imported or exported, illegal traffic in contraband; smuggling, smuggled goods.” I didn’t see any reference to pizza or juice.

This is a great civic activity! I applaud these parents and kids for participating in nonviolent public protests. These parents show responsible public opposition following the successful acts of Gandhi, Rosa Parks, John Lennon and Martin Luther King when faced with adversity. DOE, BOE, HSTA and the legislature are all on the same page trying to put our kids back in school. It is a shame Lingle, like the GOP, does not value public education.

JUSTIN HUGHEY, Lahaina

RESEARCH SHOULD INCLUDE PRESERVING WATER RESOURCES

HC&S may be going into biofuels as a result of a multimillion dollar research project; is this good news? I think the key is that “the research will emphasize strategies that ensure adequate resources and infrastructure are available...”

Since most of the money comes from federal sources and the Environmental Protection Agency — a federal agency committed to the phasing out of injection wells — this could be a great opportunity for Maui to pursue a win-win-win solution.

Globally and on Maui, potable water is a precious commodity. Water is needed to grow any kind of crop. Currently, there is a fight for stream water in Maui. There is no guarantee the streams will flow at any particular rate, which makes it hard to divide the water fairly.

Currently, over four million gallons a day of wastewater is being injected into our nearshore waters (from just the Lahaina plant), causing invasive algae blooms and other problems.

Any research or plans for major future agriculture projects should include investigation on how to use our reclaimed injected wastewater for agricultural purposes. This may even save money on fertilizers, as this water is often nitrogen-rich.

Droughts happen, but people never stop flushing their toilets. This could alleviate the pressures on the state water commission, taro farmers, the nearshore reefs and HC&S. This is a problem that needs to be addressed, and there is no time like the present, when millions of federal funds are being invested for the future of this company.

The solution seems to be within our grasp — we need to use all of our water resources efficiently and set up a system now for future generations to thrive. This is something we could all be working toward together, instead of fighting each other over limited water resources.

TAMARA PALTIN, Kahana

U.S. MUST CAPITALIZE ON ITS OIL RESOURCES

During the election, Republican candidate, Vietnam P.O.W. hero and terribly boring John McCain employed as a platform technique the reality of the immense amount of oil lying just off our shores waiting to be drilled. This would negate our dependence on oil from foreign countries, many whose corrupt governments mock and sneer the U.S.

After his loss, this brilliant idea was immediately forgotten, instead of being used in Congress and the Senate. This would have been a brilliant opportunity for his vice president candidate and former governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, to remind Americans there is enough oil waiting to be tapped beneath the frozen swamps of Alaska’s northern slopes to supply the U.S. for over 200 years.

A week ago, Obama mentioned our vast reserves offshore and initiated steps in that direction, making the Republicans look like the kid with his hand stuck in the cookie jar, unable to figure out how to remove it.

Of course, the price of a gallon of gas has never been a concern to politicians who don’t pay for gas or transportation tickets, each reflecting the most recent increases at the pump. Remember, Americans, these leaches we elected are concerned primarily on the vast amount of money they’re accumulating — not the care and welfare of their constituents.

This is a golden opportunity for our media to display signs of leadership by taking the initiative and showing their readers the discrepancies of our political farce. I hope we don’t have to wait much longer.

RAY PEZZOLI JR., Kihei

ANIMALS NOT MEANT TO LIVE IN CAGES

A circus elephant in Pennsylvania recently killed its trainer. The elephant had electric shock current before and inadvertently kicked its trainer out of fear and shock.

The killer whale that recently killed its trainer at Sea World was kept in a small chlorinated cement pond for years — equivalent in size of a human being kept in a bathtub.

A chimp kept in cages as a pet killed the owner’s friend not so long ago.

Wild animals are not meant for cages, enclosures and training. Let them be wild.

The killer whale is still floating in that small pool, and the elephant is still in chains and cages being electrocuted to train for circus performances.

Zoos are not a kind place for elephants. The one in Honolulu should be retired to a sanctuary. Elephants are meant to roam hundreds of miles and with families, not kept standing on cement floors for years and years to bring in money to promote such displays.

Wild horses are being rounded up with helicopters flying so close to the ground to frighten them and take away their natural homes enough to injure, kill and ruin their lives.

It is all extreme cruelty to take away an animal’s natural instincts to perform or live for humans. Let them keep their instincts and not take away their habitats by over-logging.

Animals are all we have to learn from about the natural beauty, goodness and purity of our Planet Earth. Why destroy the lives of these inhabitants of the natural world? If we do, we ruin Planet Earth.

BARBARA STEINBERG, Kihei

TRASHING ETHICS IN THE PURSUIT OF MONEY

These challenging economic times affect most of us to one extent or another. For me, it meant taking on an additional job to pay the bills, for some less, and others much more. However, do we give up our values and rules of conduct to concentrate on only the almighty buck? Do we stop standing up for those who have less ability to fend for themselves? Do we give up our morals? Is it okay to trash ethics because of economic conditions?

As I read government officials degrade legislators for introducing bills to prevent animal cruelty because we should be concentrating on business and money, I cringe. It is okay to torture helpless animals, because greed has upset the economic system? Do these animals have to wait for an economic boom before humans halt these cruel practices? Let’s have a morality boom.

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” — Mahatma Gandhi

MIKE MORAN, Kihei

BOOMVANGERS APPRECIATE SUPPORT

The Boomvangers of Lahaina Yacht Club want to thank all the people and businesses that generously donated to our Lahainaluna High School Scholarship Fund-raiser held March 29 at Lahaina Yacht Club.

Our “Chili Cook-off and Auction” raised over $5,000, of which every penny goes to Lahainaluna students for college scholarships.

Thank you again, because we couldn’t do it without your support. Mahalo nui loa.